8 - Correlation between Childhood Bipolar I Disorder and Reactive Attachment Disorder, Disinhibited Type

Abstract

This chapter explores a number of cases in which recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of childhood mood disorders have greatly enhanced the quality of life of attachment-disordered children and their families. Medical treatment plans for maltreated children are capable of either promoting or inhibiting a child's well-being. Medications, with the help of other effective treatment techniques, are capable of enormously enhancing the child's abilities to demonstrate attachment behavior, or conversely, contribute to a child's lack of sufficient progress in developing attachment behavior. Many children have made dramatic progress with a reconceptualization of the etiology of their symptom complexes. With a new understanding of the physiological contributions in attachment-disordered children, psychopharmacological intervention has contributed substantial improvement in large numbers of maltreated (abused and/or neglected) children with associated attachment difficulties. Diagnoses are formulated by evaluating three separate criteria. These are the child's personal and family history, emotional and behavioral symptoms, and mental status, the latter being an assessment of his or her current functional ability. An examination of these criteria is important to explain how childhood mood disorders correlate with Reactive Attachment Disorder.